Tag Archives: day

Oh, 4th of July. It’s the holiday that signals that summer is half over. It’s hot weather, sunshine, lakes, friends, family, and tons of fun. When we were little, we’d spend the day at the lake or pool, and in the evening we’d watch the fireworks at my grandparents and pretend we were getting shot each time there was a boom. As a teenager, we’d again spend the time in the water, but the evenings were spent hanging out at the fireworks acting goofy, trying to sit by the boys we liked, and cruising around town. And now, as an adult, it’s really about family, food, but still the sunshine. I know I’ll be parked in a lake, soaking up the 100+ degrees, and enjoying the day off from work.
But I would be remiss not to mention why we celebrate the day. As Americans, we are very lucky to live in a country where over 200 years ago our forefathers recognized the importance of being free to live the life you choose. Yes, there have been struggles along the way and we still continue to evolve as a nation, but there’s no where else I’d rather live (well, maybe the south of France). And I’d like to thank all the men and women throughout the centuries that have sacrificed their lives so that we may remain free.
I hope you all have a fabulous holiday and that you are able to spend it with the ones you love. Be safe and don’t forget the sunscreen!

Many of you have asked who does the artwork on my blog. The answer is simple-my little sister. Erin Gergen Halls is a truly amazing and talented artist. Completely self-taught, she is able to take a photograph and create realistic drawings that will blow your mind. The one thing I hear all the time is, “Wow, it looks just like a real photograph.” Yes, they do, and that’s why she is a Photo Realist. What she can do with graphite and colored pencils is genius. I can’t even draw a stick person (and I am not making that up), yet from the time we were little children, she has been creating works of art using all kinds of mediums. As an adult, she dabbled in greeting cards, frames, painted shelves, but she’s really come into her own with drawing. She has been nationally recognized, won numerous awards, and has had her own gallery showings. And did I mention she also is a mother to three school-aged children? Up late, always on a deadline, she still manages to turn out fabulous works while juggling the demands of motherhood. Can you tell I’m a proud sister? Here’s a small sample of her masterpieces.

“The Tamarack Bird” colored pencil
This is her newest work. The bird was a gift our father gave our mother when we were young.

“The Remains of the Day” colored pencil
This features “remains” she has found on many walks with her dog. I love how she incorporates interesting items and turns them into beauty.

“Morning at the Hotel Chelsea” graphite
This is from a photo she took of me at the Hotel Chelsea in NYC. It had been a childhood dream of ours to stay there, and it is very special to me that is is now a work of art.

“Tiger Balm” colored pencil
When our dad died, we found tins of Tiger Balm all around his house. Being a “pack rat”, she kept them all and from something tragic comes something amazing.

“Becarren” colored pencil
This is a childhood friend of ours all grown up. The attention to detail is what always blows my mind when it comes to my sister’s drawings. Beautiful!

“My Dad” graphite
A tribute to our late father. This was truly a labor of love for her. It was very intense for her to stare at his face all day when he was so recently lost to us.

Okay, so today is “Anthropologie, Take Two” here at Style Meganzine. I was absolutely floored when I saw their spring windows! I come from a very visual background and Anthro has some of the most talented visual merchandisers and display artists in the industry. The theme is “Earth Day” and honors the company’s partnership with the Wyland Foundation, a non-profit working to promote ocean stewardship. Did you know that 60% of the world’s coral reefs are expected to suffer major damage or vanish completely over the next 30 years? The windows are a celebration of life under the ocean and are filled with jellyfish, octopi, sea stars, and other ocean creatures. They are truly amazing and eye-catching windows.

Cream colored sea fans fill these windows.

A close up of the sea fans. Hours and hours of work go into a window of this caliber.

Coral wall with a sunken ship. It takes a true artist to create this window.

A close-up of barnacles and coral.

Lighting helps to re-create the ocean floor.

Genius! When you really look at the the intricate detail you can only be awed.

Lighting can work magic-it’s all about illusion.

Glass and other elements were used to create coral.

It look so real…

Jellyfish float from the ceiling. You really do feel as if you were in the deep blue.

I love my morning routine. There’s something very comforting about having a regime. It gets my day off to the right start and sets the stage. But just because I enjoy applying lotions and potions, it doesn’t mean I want it to take forever. Let’s be real, most of us have a limited amount of time in the morning to get ready and we need things to be streamlined. Here’s a look at my five minute face (give or take). It may seem like a lot of products, but they are quick and easy to apply. You’ll have a natural, rosy glow in a matter of minutes.

I then apply a concealer on the hard to cover spots. This takes two seconds, as the bb cream does a great job covering most flaws.
shown: Loreal Magic Lumi Liquid Concealer $13

The next step is to apply a blush stain (gel or cream). You could skip this step, but I find my cheeks stay rosy longer if I use a stain.
shown: Tarte Cheek Stain $30

I then sweep on a mineral powder. It gives me a flawless finish and helps to keep the oil at bay. I find mineral powders to be the best. They seem less cakey and are more natural.
shown: Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfectly Powder $59

Next comes a powder blush. I know, it seems like overkill to most of you. But I’ve found that using both a cream and powder blush gives me great color and is less likely to melt off during the day.
shown: Tarte Amazoninan Clay 12hr Blush $25

It’s on to the eyebrows. I like a gel instead of a pencil. The color sweeps on with a mascara wand and is super easy. It gives definition and holds brows into place.
shown: Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel $21

I love ice skating. There is something so freeing about gliding across the ice. When I was a little girl, our town had yet to build an indoor rink so we always skated outdoors. We would spend hours twirling around until we could no longer feel our extremities. It was exhilarating! As a teenager, I worked as a “skate guard” at the indoor rink. I’d bring my boom box and for hours I’d skate around making sure no one got hurt and everyone behaved. I think it was my all-time favorite job. I also cheered for hockey. I could do the splits on the ice!

LSHS Hockey Cheerleaders circa 1987 (that’s me-top middle)

When I was in my early 20’s, I needed new skates, so my dear dad got me a very special pair. He had royal blue pom poms (with bells) put on them and also royal blue skate guards (royal blue was a school color). These are the skates I still use today. Yes, I probably need to update, but these are old school!

I wonder if you can even find pom poms anymore…

So, now for the modern take on ice skates. I immediately fell in love with these. Yes, they are totally over the top (not to mention super expensive), but isn’t that what fashion is all about?